Thousands of scores, 100,000 letters... Line Renaud donates her archives to the State

Forty stage outfits, thousands of scores and photos, 100,000 letters: at the age of 96, Line Renaud donated her artistic and personal archives to the State on Monday, May 12, as well as those of her husband, the composer Loulou Gasté, who died in 1995.

During a ceremony held at the Ministry of Culture in the presence of Brigitte Macron, the singer and actress presented Rachida Dati with a letter donating her archives, including her diaries covering 80 years of performance and which will soon be handed over to the National Archives.

This is "a first for such a comprehensive collection for an artist," according to Yann Potin, chief curator in charge of enriching the collection.

Among the scores: that of Ma Cabane au Canada by Loulou Gasté, one of Line Renaud's great successes in 1949. The stage outfits will join the National Center for Costume and Stage in Moulins (Allier).

Line Renaud also donated her private correspondence with her fans, as well as with AIDS patients and their families, who thanked her for her commitment to fighting the disease. In 1987, she initiated the Association of Artists Against AIDS, the first attempt in France to mobilize media against HIV.

"Your whole life is a story of gifts and generosity. (...) This gift, today, is the gift of a heritage which, in itself, immerses us in the history of song, musical film, dance, music hall, theatre, television and, of course, cinema," stressed Rachida Dati, in the presence of Line Renaud's close circle: Muriel Robin, Dany Boon and her press officer Nicole Sonneville.

"Thank you, dear Line Renaud, for this lifetime of giving, for your archives, for these testimonies of the career of an artist who is now and forever part of our national heritage," added the Minister of Culture.

"These archives that I entrust to you are not only mine. They are the chronicle of an era, the often moving words of so many people, famous but also anonymous. (...) By taking care of my memory, you offer me great peace. When the day comes, I will leave as peacefully as possible," confided Line Renaud, her voice breaking with emotion.

The singer and actress, an honorary member of the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity, also recalled that "her fight today is the end of life" : "Dying, fine, but not suffering, that's unbearable. I really experienced it with my family. So, we have to change that so that we can die in peace. More peacefully, more serenely."